F1 News
Will the passionate Zandvoort crowd get behind Norris? 'A lot of support'
- Tygo Bekkema
Lando Norris sensationally grabbed pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The Briton was 3.5-tenths faster than home hero Max Verstappen. Even though Norris is not the polesitter the Dutch faithful were hoping for, the McLaren driver does feel support from the 'Orange army'.
Norris broke Verstappen's three-strong streak at the circuit in the sand dunes with his pole position. For the past three years, Verstappen started the race from first, winning them in the process.
Following Norris's result, a journalist asked him afterwards if he has started to feel more supported by the Dutch fans over the years. "Not at the minute. I think we've always joked about it, but honestly, I've always had a lot of support from Dutch fans since I started, since I've been in Formula 1. My mum's from Belgium, so it kind of puts me half into that bubble," Norris explained.
'The more the merrier'
Norris feels in his element at the Zandvoort circuit and hopes the fans will continue to get behind him. "They've always supported me well, and I appreciate that. I always enjoy coming to a race like this, and the Red Bull Ring as well. They're kind of two home races for Max, with the amount of fans that he has there. So it's fun. It's nice that I have a lot of support from many different countries wherever I go. Some are more crazy than others, and I think the Dutch are one of the biggest players in this. But the more the merrier, and I appreciate that.
Whether or not the Dutch will actually support him on Sunday remains to be seen. Norris starts from pole position, with Verstappen next to him on the front row. Piastri, Russell and Perez complement the top five. The Zandvoort Grand Prix starts in just a few hours at 14:00 BST.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!